An Indian in squash’s big league

A day after stunning Nour El Sherbini, Anahat Singh beat World No. 14 Salma Hany to reach a PSA Gold-level semi-final — a feat no Indian squash player, male or female, has accomplished

India will also hope that Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani and Velavan Senthilkumar make headway in the men’s singles.

2 min readOct 24, 2026 07:00 AM IST First published on: Oct 24, 2026 at 07:00 AM IST

With her first career win over eight-time squash world champion Nour El Sherbini, Delhi ace Anahat Singh has begun to make a mark on the pro tour. Not only is the Egyptian her biggest scalp, but the Silicon Valley Open 2026 squash tournament in Redwood City, USA, has the biggest names in the sport. A day after stunning El Sherbini, the 18-year-old beat World No. 14 Salma Hany to reach a PSA Gold-level semi-final — a feat no Indian squash player, male or female, has accomplished.

Anahat had defeated World No. 6 Satomi Watanabe at the Asian Games. But the victory over El Sherbini is more than an upstart taking down a 30-year-old legend. Squash is now an Olympic event, and if  Anahat continues her upward arc, she could be a medal contender in 2028.

India will also hope that Abhay Singh, Veer Chotrani and Velavan Senthilkumar make headway in the men’s singles. Anahat, known for her shot-making, is a worthy successor to Joshna Chinappa and Dipika Pallikal and can take the next step, given that her pathway is lined with support from some of the best coaches in the world, including Frenchman Gregory Gaultier, who also coaches El Sherbini. Squash has a global presence. Anahat is likely to find the path getting tougher from here.